Eddie Alvarez evened the score, winning a thrilling split decision over Michael Chandler to regain the lightweight championship in the main event of Bellator 106 in Long Beach, Calif., Saturday.

The five-round classic left both fighters bloodied and battered.

Alvarez frustrated Chandler in the first, utilizing sharp footwork to land clean punches and avoid counters. Chandler managed to track him down near the end of the frame, hitting a slam and threatening with a deep rear-naked choke attempt.

Chandler picked up where he left off in the second — controlling Alvarez on the mat — but suffered a cut under his left eye due to the challenger's sharp punches.

In the third, Alvarez continue to target Chandler's eye, which swelled up in gruesome fashion. Chandler then regained momentum in the fourth, teeing off with brutal ground-and-pound to open a laceration near Alvarez's left eye.

Alvarez then took over in the fifth, tagging Chandler at will before relentlessly pursuing a series of rear-naked choke attempts.

The judges scored the bout 47-48, 48-47 and 48-47 for Alvarez.

“It takes two people to put on a fight like that,” Alvarez said. “That was the fight of the year.”

A disappointed Chandler said he will come back stronger.

“It was great, man,” Chandler said of his first professional loss. “It was just another fight. I'll get back to the drawing board and see what happens next.”

With the victory, Alvarez avenges a 2011 submission loss to Chandler. The bout marks his first since a KO win over Patricky Freire in Oct. 2012. He was forced to sit out due to being locked in a legal stalemate with Bellator after the promotion exercised its match clause when Alvarez received an offer from the UFC.

Emanuel (The Hardcore Kid) Newton, meanwhile, proved the first fight wasn't a fluke.

The unorthodox striker won a unanimous decision over Muhammed (King Mo) Lawal to claim the interim light-heavyweight belt in the co-main event.

It was clear Lawal aimed to utilize his stellar wrestling arsenal in the rematch. He found early success — hitting a series of takedowns in the first — but struggled to get Newton to the floor as the fight progressed.

In the second, Newton wobbled the former Strikeforce light-heavyweight titleholder with a high kick, but couldn't put him away. Though he didn't get the finish, the strike swung momentum firmly in Newton's corner, as he spent the subsequent rounds picking Lawal apart and avoiding takedown attempts.

Lawal came alive in the fifth — opening a cut under Newton's eye and hitting takedown — but it was too little, too late.

All three judges scored the bout 49-46 for Newton.

“I can't even describe the feeling I have right now,” Newton said. “I'm not going to face another wrestler like that in MMA and that makes me excited.”

Newton knocked Lawal out with a spectacular spinning back-fist in February.

He will now meet light-heavyweight champion Attila Vegh in a unification bout next year. Vegh won a controversial split decision in their first encounter in 2012.

“After fighting Mo, Attila's got nothing for me,” Newton said.

Also on Saturday, Daniel Straus captured the Bellator featherweight championship, grinding out a unanimous-decision victory over Pat (Paddy Mike) Curran.

Curran got off to a good start, landing clean punches up the middle throughout the first two rounds.

In the third, Curran uncorked a blatantly illegal knee as Straus was downed. As a result, referee Jason Herzog deducted a point.

Straus then took over, turning the bout into a grappling match. He continued to wear on Curran with smothering top control, before opening a cut on the striker's forehead.

Despite being down on the scorecards going into the final round, Curran showed little sense of urgency. He instead opted to remain patient and even engaged Straus in clinch exchanges against the fence as time wasted away on the clock.

The judges scored the fight 49-45, 48-46 and 48-46 for Straus.

“It's a good feeling,” Straus said. “Pat Curran is a tough dude. I will see him again, I know it.”

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira has bowed out of his March fight with Alexander Gustafsson due to a lingering back injury ... Lyoto Machida will face Gegard Mousasi in Brazil Feb. 8 ... Referee Mario Yamasaki will officiate the welterweight-title bout between Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in Las Vegas Nov. 16 ... The Nevada State Athletic Commission has ordered Josh Barnett to undergo WADA-certified random drug testing. Regardless of whether or not he fights in Nevada, Barnett will be subject to random screenings until the end of 2014 ... The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation admitted it erred by stating Cain Velasquez was suspended six months for a potentially broken jaw stemming from his victory over Junior dos Santos in Houston last month. The heavyweight champ actually received a 15-day medical suspension for precautionary reasons ... A bantamweight bout between Johnny Eduardo and Lucas Martins has been removed from UFC Fight Night 32 in Goiania, Brazil Nov. 9 after both fighters suffered undisclosed injuries.

Eddie Alvarez, Emanuel Newton win at Bellator 106

Emanuel (The Hardcore Kid) Newton proved the first fight wasn’t a fluke.

The unorthodox striker won a unanimous decision over Muhammed (King Mo) Lawal to claim the interim light-heavyweight belt in the co-main event of Bellator 106 in Long Beach, Calif., on Saturday.

It was clear Lawal aimed to utilize his stellar wrestling arsenal in the rematch. He found early success — hitting a series of takedowns in the first — but struggled to get Newton to the floor as the fight progressed.

In the second, Newton wobbled the former Strikeforce light-heavyweight titleholder with a high kick, but couldn’t put him away. Though he didn’t secure the finish, the strike put momentum firmly in Newton’s corner, as he spent the subsequent rounds picking Lawal apart and avoiding takedown attempts.

Lawal came alive in the fifth — opening a cut under Newton’s eye and hitting takedown — but it was too little, too late.